This invention concerns a method of inspection and/or data gathering for use with mobile computing devices such as pen computers. The need exists for accurate, detailed and timely field data such as site and equipment inspections, incident report, surveys, order filling and the like. Mobile computing devices such as pen computers have been used for this purpose, allowing field inspectors to enter data into the computer as they make their in situ inspections. The computing device must, of course, be programmed to accept the data and store it in some usable format. Programming the machines has proven to be a problem for users as they try to create a program that reflects their particular business needs.
General-purpose database software, such as FoxPro from Microsoft Corporation or dbase from Borland, can be used to program the mobile computers used for data collection. These types of programs allow users complete freedom in how to design data tables, input screens, menus and the like. They then encourage the user to generate an application from these elements. An application is a program written in a language that is part of the general-purpose program (i.e., FoxPro has its own programming language; FoxPro itself runs programs written in that language). Thus, an "application" is a program within a program.
The general-purpose software includes an application generator that will do much of the detail work of creating the application from the basic screens, menus etc. that a user creates. Nonetheless, application generation is usually beyond the capability of the ordinary user and only basic applications can be generated this way. More complex applications require detailed knowledge of the programming language. An entire industry has arisen to develop custom-written applications for users. But regardless of how it's written, each application has its own code, in the database programming language, for accomplishing its mission.
Creation of this application code, whether done professionally or by the user, is time-consuming and costly when done properly and potentially disastrous when done poorly. Moreover, the finished application will do one job and one job only. When the task changes, the application has to be modified or re-written. It would be preferable to have an application that does not change from one job to another but can still accommodate the specific needs of individual users. That is what the present invention does.